1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for providing received broadcast data in a digital broadcasting system, and more particularly to a screen display method and apparatus for a digital broadcasting receiver receiving broadcast contents.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, a broadcasting environment is changing according to the development of broadcasting technologies and a change in demand of viewers.
That is, broadcasting environment transits from analog broadcasting to digital broadcasting, broadcasting media are varied from only terrestrial wave to cable, satellite, etc., and two-way service is being provided in cooperation with communication networks, so that the recent broadcasting environment undergoes a greater change than any other fields.
A representative service appearing under such an environment is Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) service, which is a digital broadcasting service based on an Internet protocol. IPTV service is two-way television service provided through the use of very high speed Internet access, in such a manner as to connect a television receiver with contents provision servers through the Internet by means of a TV set-top box, which is a digital broadcasting receiver, and to provide broadcasts and various contents to the television receiver. Such IPTV service may be a type of digital convergence in terms of a combination of Internet and television. In addition, broadcasting through IPTV service is different from normal sky-wave broadcasting in that a viewer can selectively view desired programs at his/her convenience.
Meanwhile, a digital broadcasting receiver based on IPTV service supports an electronic program guide (EPG) service for the convenience of the users. The EPG service displays a list of channels being broadcasted in the form of text when the signal of a specified function key is input, thereby helping the user to select a channel. The channel selection using the EPG service is performed in such a manner that the user selects a desired channel by adjusting channel up/down keys in a remote controller at the state where a list of channels is displayed in the form of text, or that the user directly inputs a confirmed channel number. Such a normal channel selection manner increases required time and user inconvenience during channel search as the number of channels provided through digital broadcasting increases. In addition, according to the conventional EPG service, since a list of channels is provided in the form of text, it is difficult to exactly understand the characteristics and contents of a broadcast provided through a corresponding channel.
Therefore, it is urgent to develop a method for efficiently disposing a plurality of moving picture contents so as to enhance visibility and to facilitate content search and selection by the user.